An incredibly moving and tender image of a father cradling his ill son in the shower has garnered huge support on social media despite Facebook repeatedly removing it because of its nudity rules

Despite Facebook's best efforts, an image of a caring father sitting in the shower with his sick child has gone viral on the social media platform. Why you would wonder is Facebook opposed to the picture? Well, the social media site finds it offensive and has been repeatedly removing the image since both the father and infant are naked.

The picture shows Thomas Whitten trying to soothe Fox and is from 2014. It was uploaded by Heather Whitten, the mother, but keeps getting deleted from Facebook.

The image has received over 1,37,000 and over 32 thousand shares on FB.

HERE'S THE IMAGE: Do you find it offensive or sensitive?

The image was taken by Heather, an Arizona-based photographer, in 2014, when Whitten's then one-year-old son, was extremely ill with what later was diagnosed as salmonella poisoning. Thomas had at that time taken the boy into the shower to calm him down and keep his fever in check.

Heather had captured the tender father-son moment and shared it with the world, but Facebook had other ideas.

Facebook kept removing the picture numerous times for it apparently "violated" its nudity rules.

The Whittens have four children — Lillian, seven, Leena, four, and two-year-old twins Fox and Persephone.

Heather wrote on her Facebook page that she took the photograph in November 2014 after Fox had an attack of vomiting and diarrhoea. He was later taken to hospital with salmonella poisoning.

"I snapped a couple of pictures. It was just beautiful. It was not surprising or anything out of the ordinary; it's how he has always been with the kids," Heather said in one interview.

Heather then reposted the image on her Facebook page alongside complaints about how the image was previously deleted.

A Facebook spokesperson told a UK website that the image was wrongfully removed and is now back on Whitten's page.